We are aware of the environmental impact of a festival as large as Il Cinema Ritrovato, attracting thousands of participants from around the world each year to Bologna. For this reason, since 2022 – when we began taking steps towards carbon neutrality – we continue working on making the festival as sustainable as possible. During the 2023 edition, we renewed our commitment and this year we intend to go further, with the aim of reducing the festival’s impact on the environment as much as possible and make our cinephile’s paradise even greener.

To achieve this goal, we have been supported over the past two years by zeroCO2, a company that combats the climate crisis and supports rural communities through the reforestation of — land: thanks to their contribution, we have adopted solutions to reduce our emissions and found systems to measure and compensate for residual CO2.

For this reason, we have improved the materials we use and identified good practices to make use of during the festival’s next edition. A small step, by us, and a request to you, audiences and festival guests, to help us be more sustainable, because we can only improve our future through a shared effort.

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A GREENER FESTIVAL

1) Paper quality. Cinema Ritrovato’s paper products (programme and festival catalogue) and the flyers distributed during the Piazza Maggiore screenings will be printed on FSC certified, environmentally friendly paper.

2) Paper quantity. Compared to previous editions, we have monitored the ratio between the number of festival pass holders (which is on the rise) and the amount of printed materials, with the aim of reducing the use of paper and promoting our website and digital programme. All relevant information is available online and can be accessed via the QR codes printed on the promotional panels throughout festival sites.

3) Reuse of waste products. We have relaunched a special partnership with Gomito a gomito, a socially responsible clothing manufacturer which offers dignified paid work to inmates of the Bologna prison. Last year, plastic and PVC publicity materials were given a second lease of life as bags with an exclusive design. For this year’s event, female inmates will produce bags and purses from left over fabrics; the bags will be enriched by several film frames sourced from left overs from restorations carried out in the L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory.

4) Electric and hybrid vehicles. Several years ago the festival substituted the fleet of vehicles used to transport special guests with more sustainable vehicles. This year, we will use two electric cars and two hybrids (fed from two charging points set up in Piazzetta Magnani).

GOOD HABITS

1) Plastic free water. Bologna has made an important political choice, to reduce the use and dispersion of plastic as much as possible, and our festival intends to fully support this goal. Festival spaces will all be equipped with dedicated drinking water fountains to reduce plastic container use. In Piazzetta Pasolini we will install a water kiosk provided by Hera; all the festival theatres will have dedicated water dispensers provided by Culligan.

Outside the cinemas, our city offers many alternatives for accessing free water. Visitors can come across numerous public fountains, found across the historic centre, water machines (where you can quench your thirst at an affordable cost), and several bars and restaurants that offer free water bottle refills.

2) Plastic free food. Il Cameo, the refreshment stand in Piazzetta Pasolini, and the stands in Mercato Ritrovato – which are ideal for a break between screenings, an aperitif, lunch or dinner – will offer locally sourced, seasonal products with vegetarian options and will only use compostable containers and packaging.
The staff of the Cineteca di Bologna and the festival will this year be able to make use of a canteen offering artisan food from Pasto nomade.

3) Still on the subject of food, we would like to draw your attention to several apps against food waste, which are both virtuous and practical, after an intense day of screenings:

• Too Good To Go, the app that’s all about buying economically priced food which has not been sold (but is still very good!) from shops in around the festival areas (here some of the affiliated shops);

• Last Minute sotto casa.

4) Separated waste. All festival areas will contain recycling bins to minimise the amount of landfill. In collaboration with Gruppo Hera.

5) Reuse and recycle. A huge quantity of stationary and everyday objects is used as part of festival activity: folders, pens, badges… This year, we would like to ask for your help in minimising the use of such objects and facilitating their reuse.

TRANSPORT

1) Trains. Do you want to travel to Bologna for the festival? If the distances are not too great and you can avoid catching a flight, we would advise you to opt for taking the train rather than travelling by car. Trains are by far the most ecological form of transport with CO2 emissions up to 91% less than more polluting means. Holders of a Trenitalia Tper regional train tickets to Bologna will also get a reduced price on their festival pass!

2) Bike sharing and hiring. Bologna is a welcoming and reasonably sized city: the distances between the various festival sites can be covered very quickly, even on foot. For anyone who would like to move “in a higher gear” we suggest the option of renting a bike or an e-scooter through various outlets around the city.

We have confirmed for another edition the collaboration with RideMovi, a bike sharing service with bikes available 24/7 in various areas around the city: during the days of the festival there will be four dedicated bike parking areas with 25 charged bikes ready for use. They will be located in via Menarini and via Azzo Gardino (close to Cinema Lumière), in piazza Re Enzo (close to Cinema Modernissimo), in via Calori, on the corner of via Lame (close to Cinema Arlecchino) and via Ugo Bassi (close to Cinema Jolly).

Click here for an overview of bike-sharing services in the city.

3) Bus. To cover greater distances and move freely around the city, another more ecological and practical option than taking a car is the bus. Anyone with an annual Tper pass will also get their festival pass at a reduced price!

4) Shuttle service. Moving from cinema to cinema during Il Cinema Ritrovato has never been easier. From Saturday 22nd June to Saturday 29th June a shuttle service by City Red Bus (an electric vehicle with 13 spaces) is available to all festival pass holders. The service will go between Piazzetta Pasolini and Cinema Modernissimo (and back) with four stops along the way in the vicinity to other festival locations. Consult the stops and the times of the shuttle on the website.

Click here for more information, regarding bus stops and times.